Collar support



Nov. 25, 1958 F. H. WHYTE 2,851,726

COLLAR SUPPORT Filed Oct. 31, 1955 FLORENCE H. WHYTE' m/vavro/e HUEBNER, BEEHLER,

WORREL 8 HERZG 35 35 ATTORNEYS;

United States Patent COLLAR SUPPORT Florence I-I. Whyte, Fresno, Califl, assignor of one-half to Arthur Redvers Whyte, Fresno, Caiif.

Application October 31, 1955, Serial No. 543,808

8 Claims. (Cl. 22392) The present invention relates to a collar support and more particularly to such a device having especial advantage when employed in conjunction with coat hangers and the like.

It is well known to support wearing apparel, such as dresses, shirts, blouses, coats, and other garments having houlder and collar portions, on coat hangers. A conventional type of coat hanger provides a substantially rigid arch bar, generally of wood, having a wire hook extended centrally upwardly therefrom. A shirt, for example, is normally supported on a hanger of this type with the shoulder portions of the shirt rested on the opposite ends of the hanger bar and with the hook extended upwardly centrally of the collar portion of the shirt for pendent support on a rod, hook or other suitable supporting structure. It has been found that the collar portion of a shirt, or other garment, hung in the described manner, tends to drape about the hook of the hanger and to lose its desired shape. It is especially disconcerting to laundries and housewives to have garments wrinkle in this manner after they are freshly pressed and placed on hangers to await use.

.The foregoing problem has been recognized in some measure in the prior art. For example, coathangers are known which have contoured forms adapted to fit within the shoulder and collar portions of garments so as to reduce the tendency of the garments to wrinkle in this manner. Although such hangers are effective and are widely employed in clothing stores and the like, their extra expense, and additional bulk and weight render them unsuited for universal use. This is especially true in operations which need to minimize expenses in order to maintain competitive positions in the trade.

Devices of cardboard and other sheet material have also been devised to fit over hanger bars in an attempt to provide forms for improved support of garments. In general, however, these devices have been subject to disadvantages which the present invention is believed to overcome. v s

It is an object of this invention to provide an improved auxiliary garment support for receiving a garment on a hanger and supporting the collar of the garment so as to preserve its intended shape.

Another object is to enable the support of a garment on a hanger in a manner which minimizes undersirable wrinkling and creasing around the collar portion of the garment.

Another object is to provide a garment support which is both expendable and adapted for repeated use.

Another object is to provide a collar supporting member which is of low cost.

Another object is to provide a collar support which is capable of compact storage and bulk shipment in large quantities.

Another object is to provide a garment support of the character described which is simple and economical to make and use and which is adapted universally to fit known coat hangers.

Patgnted Nov. 25, 1958 having a garment supported thereon and utilizing a col lar support embodying the principles of the present invention.

Fig. 2 is a somewhat enlarged fragmentary front view of the coat hanger and collar support of Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is a section taken on line 3-3 of Fig. 2 and showinganother operable position in dashed lines.

Fig. 4 is a horizontal section taken on line 4-4 of Fig. 2 and showing another operable position in dashed lines.

Fig. 5 is a front or plan view of the collar support.

Referring to the drawings in greater detail:

A conventional coat hanger 10 is shown in Figs. 1 and 2 and is of the type providing an arched crossbar 11 of Wood or other suitable material, having front and rear surfaces 12, and opposite ends 13. A hook 14 is extended centrally through the crossbar and provides an upwardly disposed substantially straight shank 15 and a curved neck 16. Such a coat hanger is well known and is only alluded to as an aid in describing the present invention, it being understood that there are many other types of coat hangers which are equally well suited for use with the collar support of the present invention. i A collar support or stay 20 embodying the principles of the present invention is best illustrated in Fig. 5. The support is preferably made of a flat sheet of.somewhat flexible material, such as fiberboard, cardboard, or the paperboard referred to in the trade as shirtboar The support provides an upwardly convex upper edge 21, a pair of outwardly convex side edges 22 downwardly extended from the upper edges and smoothly continuous therewith, an upwardly concave lower edge 23, and front andback surfaces 24 and 25, respectively. The upper and lower edges are defined by concentric arcs. This is of particular significance in that it permits the cutting of the collar supports from sheet material with a minimum of waste and in a most efiicient manner. much as the edge 21 fits the edge 23, the cutting of the edge 23 of one support automatically forms the edge 21 of an adjacent support. In broad outline, the support is of elongated oval form but has the described concave lower edge 23.

The support 20 also provides an aperture 29 centrally disposed-adjacent to the upper edge 21. The collar support may provide a slit 30 extended from the aperture 29 upwardly to the upper edge 21. Further, the member 20 has a pair of symmetrically disposed inwardly converging slits 31 adjacent to the side edges 22 and upwardly extended from the lower edge 23. The slits terminate substantially midway between the upper and lower. edges, and perforations 32 are provided in the member at the innermost ends of the slits. The slits 31 provide the supporting member 20 with a pair of end tabs 36 adapted to be flexed, and a central portion 37 having a pair of downwardly extended ends 38.

Being substantially oval, the support can be visualized as having a major axis 39 and a minor axis 40. The aperture 30 lies on the minor axis in adjacent spaced relation to the convexedge 21 and the perforations 32 are located in substantially equal adjacent spaced relation to their respective end edges 22 of the support and approximately on the major axis 39.

Operation The operation of the described embodiment of the Inaspresent invention is believed to be readily apparent and is briefly summarized at this point. The garment supporting member is fitted on the hanger 10 by sliding the aperture 29 over the hook 14 so that the supporting member is generally positioned on one side 12 of the hanger. If slit is incorporated in the member, the shank of the hook is simply forced through the slot until the shank is locatedin the aperture 29. It is to be understood that slit 30 need not necessarily be employed but in certain instances may be desirable as a mounting convenience.

Next, the tabs 36 are bent or flexed out of the plane of the supporting member and extended over the crossbar 11 soas to be positioned on the opposite side 12 of the bar from the central portion 37. In this manner the support 20 straddles the bar. It is to be understoodthat the support is dependably maintained on the hanger 10 by the hook 14 and the tabs. The perforations 32 aid in keeping the tabs spread outwardly over the bar and resist the tendency of the supporting member to creep upwardly on the hanger prior to placing a garment thereon.

A garment 50, such as a shirt, coat, blouse, dress, or the like, having a collar portion 51 and shoulder portions 52 is then draped on the hanger 10 in the usual manner. Thus the shoulder portions including the collar portion of the garment rest on the opposite ends 13 of the hanger and the collar portion is generally positioned around the hook 14 and the collar supporting member 20. It is important to note, however, that the inside of the collar portion 51 fits against the back of the central portion 37 of the supporting member so that when viewed from the front the tabs 36 are forwardly extended and the central portion rearwardly extended.

The collar portion 51 of the garment presses downwardly on the opposite ends of the upper edge 21 of the support 20 thereby flexing the central portion rearwardly, as shown in Figs. 3 and 4, against the garment and especially that portion of the garment immediately below the collar portion thereof. This prevents the collar portion from crimping around the hook 14 and becoming creased or wrinkled as a result thereof. In this manner a garment is supported in a normal condition of wear and in freshly pressed condition. The collar portion of the garment rests on the back of the support which is contoured by weight of the garment into desired rounded condition.

It will be readily understood from the foregoing that the invention is a highly effective device for dependably supporting a garment on a coat hanger. The invention is further useful in that it serves as a convenient means of advertising, such as indicated by the advertising indicia at 55. The supporting member can be compactly transported and stored, is suited for repeated use within reasonable limits or may be disposed of as desired, and is obviously of a simple and economical construction. In practice the invention has proven to be a highly effective means for accomplishing its intended purposes.

Although the invention has been herein shown and described in what is conceived to be the most practical and preferred embodiment, it is recognized that departures may be made therefrom within the scope of the invention, which is not to be limited to the details disclosed herein but is to be accorded the full scope of the claims so as to embrace any and all equivalent devices and apparatus.

Having described my invention, What I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

l. A collar support adapted to fit on a clothes hanger having a cross member and a support hook extended from the cross member comprising a sheet of resiliently flexible material having oppositely disposed upper and lower edges, oppositely disposed side edges intercoimecting the upper and lower edges, a central aperture adjacent to the upper edge adapted to receive the hook of the clothes hanger, and slits extended from the lower edge toward 4 the upper edge defining tabs between the slits and the side edges adapted to fit over the cross member of the clothes hanger.

2. A collar support adapted for use With a garment hanger including a cross member and a hook extended therefrom comprising a sheet of resiliently flexible material having oppositely disposed longitudinal edges, oppositely disposed transverse edges interconnecting the longitudinal edges, an aperture adapted to fit over the hook of the garment hanger adjacent to one of the longitudinal edges spaced substantially centrally between the transverse edges, a pair of spaced perforations located adjacent to the transverse edges and intermediate the longitudinal edges, and slits extended from the perforations outwardly to the longitudinal edge opposite to the longitudinal edge adjacent to the aperture, the slits being adapted to receive the cross member of the garment hanger slidably therein.

3. A collar support adapted for releasable attachment to a clothes hanger having a crossbar and a hook extended therefrom comprising a sheet of resiliently flexible material having oppositely disposed longitudinal edges, oppositely disposed transverse edges interconnecting the longitudinal edges, an aperture adapted to fit over the hook of the clothes hanger located adjacent to one of the longitudinal edges and substantially equally spaced between the transverse edges, and a pair of slits individually adjacent to the transverse edges convergently extended from the longitudinal edge opposite to the aperture inwardly toward said aperture and terminating between said longitudinal edges in substantially equally spaced relation to their respectively adjacent transverse edges, the slits being adapted to fit over the crossbar of the clothes hanger.

4. In combination with a clothes hanger adapted to support a garment having a collar portion, the hanger including a crossbar having opposite sides and a hook centrally upwardly extended from the bar; a generally oval collar supporting member of resiliently flexible sheet material having an upper central aperture slidably fitted over the hook of the hanger thereby to position the supporting member on one side of the hanger, an upper edge, side edges connected to the upper edge, a lower edge, slits extended from the lower edge toward the upper edge providing a pair of end tabs, and a central portion, the crossbar of the hanger being received in the slits and the end tabs being downwardly extended over the bar on one side thereof and the central portion being downwardly extended on the opposite side of the bar from the end tabs whereby downward pressure on opposite ends of the upper edge of the supporting member and inward pressure on the side edges of the supporting member by a garment supported on the hanger tend to flex the central portion of the supporting member outwardly against the collar portion of the garment to maintain the collar portion away from the hook.

5. In combination with a coat hanger having an armate crossbar providing concave and convex edges and a support hook extended centrally from the convex edge thereof; a disposable collar support of sheet material of substantially oval form having a major axis, a minor axis, opposite end edges, and opposite longitudinal edges, one of said longitudinal edges being symmetrically concave and the other of said longitudinal edges being convex, the support having a pair of perforations in substantially equally spaced relation to the end edges substantially 011 the major axis and slits extended from said perforations to the concave edge receiving the crossbar of the hanger on opposite sides of the hook with the support straddling the crossbar whereby the support is held in longitudinally arcuate form by the crossbar, and the support having an aperture therein on the minor axis in adjacent spaced relation to the longitudinal edge opposite to the concave edge receiving the hook, the support having peripheral portions outwardly :of the slits, perforations and aperture terminating in the convex edge and lying on one side of the bar and hook and having portions inwardly of said slits, perforations and aperture terminating in the concave edge lying on the opposite side of the bar and hook.

6. In combination with a clothes hanger including a crossbar providing opposite sides and a hook extended from the crossbar; a garment supporting member of resiliently flexible planar sheet material having oppositely disposed upper and lower edges, oppositely disposed end edges interconnecting the upper and lower edges, a pair of slits extended upwardly along lines from the lower edge in adjacent spaced relation to the end edges terminating short of the upper edge to provide tabs at opposite ends of the supporting member and a central portion intermediate the tabs, the tabs being resiliently flexed outwardly of the plane of the central portion in a common direction, the slits slidably receiving the crossbar on opposite sides of the hook with the crossbar being resiliently compressibly engaged on opposite sides by the central portion and tabs, the supporting member being adapted to be connected to the hook intermediate the slits.

7. In combination with a clothes hanger adapted to support .a garment, the hanger including a crossbar havingopposite sides and a hook upwardly extended from the bar; a garment supporting member of resiliently flexible sheet material having an upper edge, a lower edge, opposite end edges interconnecting the upper and lower edges, a pair of slits extended upwardly along lines from the lower edge in adjacent spaced relation to the end edges to define a pair of end tabs and a central portion, the end tabs being downwardly extended over the bar on one side thereof and on opposite sides of the hook and the central portion being downwardly extended on the opposite side of the bar from the end tabs whereby downward pressure on the opposite ends of the upper edge of the supporting member and inward pressure on the end edges of the supporting member by a garment supported on the hanger tends to flex the central portion of the supporting member longitudinally thereof and outwardly against the garment to hold the garment away from the hook.

8. In combination with a clothes hanger having opposite sides, a crossbar adapted to be horizontally positioned, and a hook upwardly extended from the crossbar and adapted to lie generally in a common plane with the crossbar, a garment supporting member of resiliently flexible planar sheet material having an upwardly convexed upper edge, outwardly convexed end edges connected to the upper edge along smooth curves, an upwardly concave lower edge, substantially straight slits upwardly convergently extended from the lower edge adjacent to the end edges to define end tabs, a central portion, and a central aperture located in adjacent spaced relation to the upper edge substantially equidistantly spaced from the end edges and having the hook of the hanger extended therethrough, the sections of the central portion above and below the aperture frictionally slidably engaging the hook on opposite sides of the hanger, the end tabs extending outwardly of the plane of the sheet material in a common direction and fitted over the crossbar on the opposite side of the hanger from the section of the central portion below the aperture so that the slits receive the crossbar and the end tabs and central portion resiliently flexibly engage the crossbar on opposite sides of the hook, the entire supporting member being releasably freely slidably fitted downwardly on the hanger so as to tip the central portion outwardly at its lower edge relative to the plane of the hanger and to bend the central portion along a smooth curve longitudinally of the supporting member.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,535,685 Kohl et al' Dec. 26, 1950 2,569,152 Collins Sept. 25, 1951 2,582,633 Jacomini Jan. 15, 

